Broken Compass
by moonsliver86
Summary: RenPilica: Prologue is up... Um... Nothing to say about the story yet...


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The moon shines so bright and covers the whole world with soft rays of silvery moonlight. It comes and goes along with the romances that make our  
world go round. The silver rays of the moon shall bring forth new relationships and new friendships that would only be realized through the  
nights that pass by. This is the reality of silver moonlight!  
  
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** Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King and its characters. I'm just using the  
characters to satisfy my hunger for spice in my life.  
  
Author's Notes: Although this story is set approximately 4 years after the first Shaman Fight, there is a shift in the timeline and plot such that the second Shaman Fight has not yet occurred and Horo Horo and Pilica did not go back to the mountains after the first Shaman Fight. In this story, their ages would be ranging from 16-18 and in Japan that would mean that they're  
in High School already.  
  
Note: This will be by second Shaman King fic so I hope that you'll enjoy  
it.  
  
Primary Pairing: Ren x Pilica  
  
Rating: PG to PG-13 for mild profanity  
  
Genre: Romance ****************************************************************************  
**  
~Broken Compass~  
Prologue: Heirlooms & Traditions ****************************************************************************  
**  
  
Sometimes things that seem to be broken are not broken; instead, they have yet to serve their purpose.  
  
Pilica stared curiously at the round metal object that lay still atop her grandmother's table. It was slightly rusted at the edges but its vivid blue color was still clearly seen. Around it, inscribed were words written in ancient language of the Ainus which has long since been forgotten except for a few who have their lives deciphering the cuneiform-like ancient language.  
  
The table was slightly too high for her, so tipping toes, she managed to reach above the table and reach for the object. Pilica stretched her hand and tried to grab it, only to push it further towards to the farther side of the table. Knowing that the object was now impossible for her little hands to reach, Pilica sighed in despair.  
  
Looking around the room and finding nothing else interesting there, Pilica turned to leave but was stopped when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, Pilica found herself staring into two familiar two azure eyes.  
  
"Pilica-chan, what are you doing in your oba-san's room?" asked a calm and soft voice from behind her, "Don't you want to go outside and play?"  
  
"Iie. Those naughty boys outside always pick on me since I'm a girl." replied Pilica innocently, "So I decided to stay home."  
  
"Doesn't Horo Horo protect you from those bullies?" asked a now concerned grandma.  
  
"He does. I just don't wanna bother him." answered Pilica, her head now lowered down and facing the floor.  
  
"I can take care of myself!" continued Pilica, "See. I can tie my own shoelaces already..."  
  
Pilica lifted her shoes for her grandmother to see and smiled, her lack of front teeth making her grandmother chuckle softly.  
  
"Hai. Pilica-chan, you've certainly grown." remarked the old lady, sitting down in front of the table and lifting Pilica to sit on her lap, "Why it seems to be only yesterday when you first came to our lives."  
  
"Oba-san." whined Pilica, "I'm already six years old."  
  
"I know. It's just that when you're old like me, time seems to pass by so quickly." replied her grandma who was reminiscing her past.  
  
"Oba-san?" asked Pilica.  
  
"Hmm." answered her grandmother, breaking free from her reverie.  
  
"What's that on the table?" asked Pilica, pointing to the round metal object that aroused her curiosity.  
  
"On that." answered her grandmother, getting the said object, "This is an old family heirloom that has been passed down to each and every female of our family1. It once belonged to my mother and to her mother and to me. Now, I give it to you."  
  
The old woman slowly opened the lid of the object and handed it to Pilica who accepted it with both of her hands carefully.  
  
"Oba-san, what is it exactly?" asked a curious Pilica, poking the glass lid that was under the metal cover.  
  
"It's a compass." answered her grandmother nonchalantly.  
  
"Is it broken?" questioned Pilica noticing that the metal pin did not move even when she moved.  
  
"Sometimes things that seem to be broken are not broken; instead, they have yet to serve their purpose. Pilica, someday you'll know what this compass is for and when that day comes, I hope that you'll always remember what I've told you today." answered her grandma, her eyes extruding a sincerity and hopefulness.  
  
Pilica smiled, her azure orbs gleaming. She clasped the compass into her hands and held it close to her heart.  
  
******** It was late in the evening, night's early glow withering away as the hours pass by and the stars' twinkle slowly fading to welcome the deep night's embrace. A little boy emerged from the bathing room, washed and cleansed of all impurities with special oil and incensed water. He wore a yellow silk robe and written on it was some sort of chant used by the Taoist priests of the olden times. He was accompanied by two maidservants to a large and dark chamber of the house and was left alone.  
  
Alone and not really sure what to do, the little boy pushed the door of the chamber open, fearfully but confidently entering the unlit room. As the doors closed behind him, the little boy could do nothing more than to move forward and as he took more steps forward, balls of flame began to light his path, appearing as he walked and disappearing as he walked away. Staring into the darkness that loomed ahead, the little boy began to feel fear but having been trained to be brave; he fought off his fear and continued on until he came face to face with a shadowed figure who sat on a large throne-like chair.  
  
"Ni zuo de hen hao, wo de er zi. (You did well, my son.)" said a deep booming voice from the shadows, "You have proven your worth today by walking down the Taoist Path of Emptiness and now, it is time for you and the darkness to become one. Be strong, my son."  
  
As the last words were said, the little boy felt a sudden chill crawl down his spine and suddenly his whole body was chained to its place by invisible chains. An invisible force began to crush his little body as if it was trying to squeeze the life out of him. Shouting out in pain, the little boy clenched his fists and struggled to break free from what was binding him.  
  
"Aargh!" shouted the little boy as he gathered all his strength and fought off the invisible force and chains.  
  
Breaking free from the chains, the little boy fell to his knees, his breathing labored and his eyes glazed with pain. Pain emanated from his back as a hot flame ran through it, embedding the symbol of hatred on it.  
  
"The ritual is complete, Ren Tao." announced the man who finally stepped into the dim lit, "You are now, a true part of the Tao family."  
  
Looking up into his father's eyes, Ren gave out a weak smile and fainted.  
  
"From this day forward, you shall be strong and brave. You shall never give in." whispered En Tao as he signaled for someone to take Ren back into his room, "That is your fate."  
  
From the small slit of light emanating from the opened room, an eye peered out and whispered softly, "But you shall someday remove that curse and find someone who you will care for more than our family."  
  
~tsuzuku~  
  
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** Author's Notes:  
  
1 - ".every female." - Clarification, this is Pilica's father side grandmother and since Pilica's father, in this story, does not have a sister and therefore, the next female in line is Pilica  
  
Okay, so this is the prologue of the story. I sort of tried to explain how Ren got the marks on his back (the curse of the Tao family - hatred) Anyway, the next chapter: Ren and Pilica meet; disasters ensue. Please R & R. ****************************************************************************  
***** Leaving behind the lost memories of the past, the silvery rays of the moon  
continues to shine over the world.  
~ Ja Matte ~  
~ * ~ silver moonlight ~ * ~ 


End file.
